A man from Brockton, Massachusetts was sentenced to eight years in prison and forced to forfeit 59 bitcoin worth $2.3 million, after he was caught selling Xanax, ecstasy, and ketamine on the deep web. Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins stressed during the announcement that the government has entered the cyber world, and she insists they will “find you and you will be held accountable.”
Brockton Man Forfeits 59 Bitcoin After a Sting Operation in Norwood
A report stemming from the Boston Herald explains that Massachusetts law enforcement has dealt with a significantly-sized federal forfeiture tied to a “darknet kingpin.” Binh Thanh Le, 25, of Brockton was charged for his Wall Street Market storefront called “Eastsidehigh.” The report notes that Le sold Xanax, ecstasy, and ketamine and he was caught with a large quantity of those drugs, 59 bitcoin, and roughly $114K in cash.
Le was 22 when he was busted in June 2019. Massachusetts law enforcement seized 10,000 Xanax pills, 44 pounds of MDMA (ecstasy), and roughly 15 pounds of the anesthesia ketamine. The Boston Herald author Flint McColgan further explained that Le sold his 2018 BMW M3 worth $66.5K for $42.3K at the time of settlement.
Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins explained on Saturday that Le will be sentenced to eight years and his bitcoins are now in the hands of law enforcement. “This sentence sends a clear message to Dark Web criminals: the federal government is entering this space. We will find you and you will be held accountable,” Rollins said in a statement. The U.S. Attorney added:
Thanks to the incredible work of our law enforcement colleagues, there is one less cybercriminal hiding in the shadows.
Legos and Molly
Le’s arrest was after the popular Wall Street Market (WSM) darknet team was accused of exit scamming. The accusations occurred after Dream Market voluntarily closed down operations, and a mass quantity of darknet market users stemming from Dream Market flocked to WSM. Le was busted in a sting operation at a hotel in Norwood, Massachusetts when his BTC was seized.
Le was arrested with two other Brockton men — Steven McCall and Allante Pires. McColgan’s report says that the alleged co-conspiring duo pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Additionally, the report noted that the darknet team packaged products in Lego boxes, which contained bags of pure MDMA (ecstasy), otherwise known as Molly.
What do you think about the Brockton man who had to forfeit 59 bitcoin for his dealings on the deep web? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.
